Knitting machines



Sep. 8, 1959 w. RADHUBER, SR 2,902,846

' KNITTING MACHINES lFiled Nov. 1s, 195e Fg.' J

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//L L )4,41 HAD Hase/el a. BY

United States Patent KNITTING MACHINES William Radhuber, Sr., Union City, NJ.

Application November 13, 1956, Serial No. 621,710

4 Claims. (Cl. 66-63) This invention relates to knitting machines, and more particularly it relates to ilat knitting machines.

The invention is illustrated as an improvement in a at, jacquard-controlled knitting machine of the type known as the Queens Tandern Head knitting machine. Such machine before the present invention was capable of only three diierent types of action: links and links, reverse jersey, and no knit, depending upon the particular settings of the push jack-operating cams and of the setup of the jacquard mechanism. The present invention provides, by relatively simple modifications of some of the elements of the prior machine, `an improved knitting machine of the type indicated which, in addition to the above-recited three types of action, can also tuck knit. The improvement, which will be set out in detail hereafter, includes the provision of a novel jack-operating gate or switch cam on the cam plate of the carriage of the machine, the provision of a tucking channel in the cam following such gate, the provision of mechanism `for changing the effective height of the gate between knitting, tucking, and no knitting positions, and the provison of a novel jacquard clip giving the push jacks a longer inward thrust than in the prior machine.

The improvement of the present invention is simple, rugged, and is economical to make and operate. An existing prior machine may quickly and economically be altered in accordance with the present invention. The resulting improved knitting machine has a exibility and versatility of operation not possible in prior knitting machines of this type.

The invention has among its objects the provision of a novel improved jacquard-controlled knitting machine selectively capable of a variety of knitting actions.

A further object of the invention resides in the provision of an improved flat knitting machine of the type indicated which is capable merely upon changing the vcooperation of controlling cams and jacquard mechanism of links and links, reverse jersey, tuck, or no knitting.

Yet another object of the present invention lies in the provision of the above indicated improved knitting machine including a novel jacquard clip, a novel switch or gate on the cam plate of the carriage, and a novel cam which follows vthe gate and which including a tuck channel therein.

The above and further objects of the invention, including economies of construction and oper-ation, will more readily appear upon consideration of the illustrative embodiment of the invention shown in the accompanying drawing, in which:

Fig. 1 is a fragmentary View, partially in end elevation and partially in vertical section, of portion of a flat, jacquard-controlled knitting machine, the figure showing a portion of the carriage of the machine and the jackcontrolling cam plates thereon.

Fig. 2 is a view in bottom plan of the cam plate appearing at the left in Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is an enlarged view taken similarly to Fig. 2 of the portion of the cam plate appearing in the upper of the machine beds.

alice 2 left hand corner of Fig. 2, the cam plate portion being turned counterclockwise in Fig. 3 from the position of Fig. 2, a part ofthe mechanism for raising and lowering the gate or switch cam being shown in dotted lines.

Fig. 4 is a `fragmentary section through the cam plate portion of Fig. 3, the section being taken generally along line 4 4 of Fig. 3, alternative positions of the gate or switch cam being indicated in dotted lines.

Fig. 5 is a fragmentary view in section through the cam plate, the section being taken generally along line 5-5 of Fig. 3, the gate or switch cam being shown in fully extended or knitting position.

Fig. 6 is a view similar to Fig. 5, but with the gate cam in its inter-mediate or tucking position.

Fig. 7 is a view similar to Fig. 5, but with the gate cam in its fully retracted or no knitting position.

Fig. 8 is a perspective of a jack employed with the machine of the invention.

Fig. 1 of the drawing herein shows a portion of a conventional Queens tandem head flat knitting machine, and Figs. 2.-8, inclusive, show parts of such machine, as modied in 'accordance with the present invention. Only so much of the machine proper is shown as is necessary to explain the present invention.

The longitudinally extending stationary frame beds 10 and 11 of the vknitting machine support, respectively, the front and rear needle beds 12 and 14. Front needle bed 12 is reciprocated longitudinally of the machine by the bar 15, which is shifted in a well-known manner to produce the `desired type of Stitches. The front and rear needle beds are provided with a plurality of transverse grooves within which are located slidable needles, not shown, the position of the needles, and operation of their latches, being determined by transversely reciprocabl'e jacks which are retained against movement longitudinally The jacks on the rear needle bed ar'e designated '16, and those on the front needle bed, 17. A machine carriage, fragmentarily indicated at 19, reciprocates longitudinally of the stationary machine beds on longitudinally extending stationary front and rear rails 20 and 21. The front and rear portions of carriage 19 are connected by an overarm 22.

The overarm carries a conventional yarn feeding structure, not shown, including means for laying yarn over open needle hooks during the knitting process. One or more brushes, such as that shown `at 24, are provided on the carriage to keep the latches of the needles open and to prevent the yarn from coming out of the hooks.

The jacks of the machine are operated by downwardly facing cams on cam plates on the machine carriage 19, so that the jacks are thrust inwardly or retracted, as the cam plate reciprocates thereover, depending upon the configuration of the cams. The rear cam plate, for operating jacks 16, is designated generally as 25; the front cam plate, for operating jacks 17, is designated generally as 26. Such front cam plate, to be described in detail hereafter, includes various novel features which cooperate to make it possible for the machine to perform tuck knitting.

At a position forwardly of the machine bed there is a jacquard mechanism 27 having the usual upper hexagonal drum 29, rotatable about a horizontal axis, over which is entrained a chain made of interlinked jacquard cards 31. Drum 29 is mounted on a vertically extending support 30, which is mounted in a conventional manner for oscillation about its lower end (not shown) so that the upper card 31 facing the machine may be advanced toward or retracted from the machine proper. Selected cards 31 carry outwardly facing clips 32 of novel construction. Such clips have fingers 34 inbent at their free ends to be retained in `holes in the cards, and an outwardly extending body or shank 35 of a length markedly longer than that of a conventional jacquard clip.

The outer end of clip 32 engages the outer forward end of push jack 36, when the clip and push jack confront each other and the jacquard mechanism is thrust toward the bed of the knitting machine, to thrust the front jacks 17 into tuck knitting position with relationship to the` cam plate 26.

The structure of the cam plate 26, and its manner of cooperation with the parts of the machine thus farv the right hand portion thereof in Figs. l and 2, are a series of conventional cams designated (starting from the leading end of cam plate 26) 39, 40, 41, and 42, which cooperate with the inner projection or butt 44 on jack 17 as the cams move past the jack. Located between cams 40 and 41 is a stitch size-controlling cam 44a, likewise conventional, which is adjustable toward and away from the longitudinal center of plate 37.

At the left hand portion of the upper end of cam plate 26 as it is shown in Fig. 2 is a cam 45 affixed to plate 37. Cam 45 has its right hand edge (Fig. 2) so spaced'from the operative surface of cam 39 as to receive the inner butt 44 and the outer butt 47 of jack 17 between them when cam plate 26 first enters into cooperative yrelation with the jack as cairiage 19 moves over the jack. Spaced somewhat downwardly (Fig. 2) from cam 45 are a second iiXed cam 49 (of the left hand series), a movable gate or switch cam 50, and a third cam 51, fixed on supporting plate 37 Cam 50 is adjustable in a direction into and out of the paper in Figs. 2 and 3, whereby to change the knitting action of the machine, including changing it from links and links to tuck knitting, by varying the path of the outer butt 47 of jack 17 with relation to the third cam 51. Cam 51 has a channel 52 extending longitudinally of cam plate 26, channel 52 having such width as selectively to receive the outer butt 47of the jack. A fourth cam 54, generally similar to cam 51, is positioned in alignment therewith near the trailing (bottom, Fig. 2) end of plate 37, and adjacent to it is positioned a fth, rhom'bus-shaped, cam 55 aligned with rhombus-shaped cam 49 but having a reverse slant as compared to cam 49.

The inwardly facing surfaces of Vcams 54 and 55 are spaced sufliciently from confronting operative inner surfaces of cams 41 and 42 to receive the butts 44 and 47 between them. The channel 56 in cam 54 receives butt 44, when jack 17 has been positioned by gate cam 50 to travel in channel 52 of cam 51, as the cam plate 26 travels past the jack. It will be understood that the jack is engaged with suicient friction on the needle bed for it to remain in position unless it is thrust inwardly or retracted by the jack-controlling mechanism.

Figs. 3-7, inclusive, show more clearly the construction of gate or switch cam 50, and show how it coacts with cams 49 and 51 selectively to define three possible paths for the outer butt 47 of jack 17 longitudinally of the cam plate 26.

Gate 50 has a rst, triangular, portion 57 the base of which lies alongside inner surface 59 of cam 49, and the first, inner trailing side of which lies alongside the outer leading inclined side 60 of cam 51.

The second inclined side of portion 57 of gate 50 has a `generally rectangular part 61 integrally attached thereto, part 61 having its outer end slanted to lie parallel to side 59 of cam 49. Part 61 has a greater depth than part 57 at its outer end 63, but has a nose 68 of the same depth as part 57, as shown in Figs. 5, 6, and 7, Gate 50 is mounted so as to be selectively advanced or retracted into any one of three positions relative to the supporting plate 37 (Figs. 5, 6, and 7). The gate is integrally attached to the outer endof a lever 62, which extends longitudinally of cam plate 26, and has its leading end pivotally mounted on a pin 64 mounted hori- Zontally in a bracket on the upper (Fig. l) face of plate 37. Lever 62 (Figure 3), and thus gate 50, are under the control of known mechanism generally designated 65 (Fig. l) which includes a push rod (not shown) mounted on carriage 19 and cooperating with movable abutments (not shown) on each end of the machine to select the position of such push rod. in thisiinstance the abutments are such -as selectively to shift the push rod, and thus to adjust the position of gate 50, into one of the three positions of the latter shown.

When the gate 50 is in the fully advanced positionof Fig. 5, the knitting position, the lower (Fig. l) surfaces of both portions 63 and 68 of gate part lie below the lower surface of plate 37. Thus when the cam plate 26 travels over a jack 17, with inner butt 44 of the jack just leaving apex 65a of cam 39 (position A, Fig. 2), the outer butt 47 of the jack will be forced inwardly along the inclined leading edge 66 of gate 50. This positions the jack so that butt 47 thereof will ride on inner surface 67 of cam 51 after leaving surface 66 of the gate 50. When the jack is in such position, it positions its needle to perform a normal knitting operation.

When the gate 5t) is in the intermediate position of Fig. 6, the tuck knitting position, the lower surfaces of portions 57 and 68 of the gate lie ush with the lower surface of plate 37, but part 63 of the gate lies below the lower surface of such plate. As the cam plate 26 now travels upwardly, with a jack initially at position A with respect thereto, the outer butt 47 of the jack will travel up inclined surface 66 on thickened part 63 of the gate, but will drop olf such inclined surface when the shallower nose portion 68 of the gate is reached. rPhe butt 47 then travels in channel 52 in cam 51 as the cam plate 26 continues to travel past the jack.

When gate 5t) is retracted into the position of Fig. 7, the no knitting position, the lower face of portion 63 of the gate lies flush with the lower surface of plate 37 (Fig. l) and the lower surfaces of parts 57 and 68 of the gate lie above the lower surface of plate 37. A jack 17 starting at position A, and in effect moving downwardly with respect to cam plate 26 (Fig. 2), will have its outer butt 47 contact the now exposed inclined face 60 of cam 51. Thus the jack 17 is now retracted to the left (Figs. l and 2), and whenybutt 47 leaves face 60 it travels along outer face 69 of cam 51.

The 'push jacks 36 (one shown) cooperate with the jacks 17 selectively to thrust the jacks inwardly at the zone of cam plate 26 longitudinally between cams 51 and 54. Because the cam plate 26 is somewhat wider than the `cam plate of a conventional machine, because of the provision of the tuck channel 52, the jacquard mechanism 27 is provided with the above-described clips 32 having a greater than conventional height. This allows the inner ends of the push jacks 36 to be thrust inwardly by the jacquard clips 32 the greater distance required by the greater width of the cam plate 26. As usual, the inner ends of jacks 36 contact the outer ends of sinkers 17 to thrust the sinkers inwardly.

Whereas for purposes of illustration I have shown and described a preferred embodiment of knitting machines in accordance with the invention, it will be understood that such embodiment is illustrative only, `and that the invention is capable of considerable variation as to details. The scope of the invention is, therefore, to be defined by the claims appended hereto.

What I claim is:

l. In a knitting machine having a needle bed, a needleshifting jack having a pair of spaced butts projecting therefrom and movably supported by the bed, and a carriage movable along said bed and carrying a cam plate having :a first cam with oppositely inclined outer and inner cam surfaces selectively cooperating with one of the jack butts, and an independently movable gate cam positioned in advance of vand in alignment with said first cam, the gate cam, first cam, and said butt being so constructed and arranged that when the gate cam is fully advanced the jack is moved into a knitting position and when the gate cam is fully retracted the jack is moved into a no knitting position, the improvement which comprises -a butt-receiving channel extending longitudinally through said rst cam, said channel being so located as to position the needle-shifting jack for tuck knitting, a nose of reduced height on the gate cam, said nose extending from the outer side of the channel to the inner end of the inner inclined surface of the first cam, and means to move the gate cam into an intermediate position in which the nose thereof lies flush with the bottom of the channel, so that the 'butt of the jack will be led into the channel upon movement of the carriage relative to the needle bed.

2. In a knitting machine having a needle bed, a needleshifting jack having a pair of spaced butts projecting therefrom and movably supported by the bed, and a carriage movable along said bed and carrying a cam plate having a first cam with oppositely inclined outer and inner cam surfaces selectively cooperating with one of the jack butts, and an independently movable gate cam positioned in advance of and in ialignment with said first cam, the gate cam, first cam, and said butt being so constructed and arranged that when the gate cam is fully advanced the jack is moved into a knitting position and when the gate cam is fully retracted the jack is moved into a no knitting position, the improvement which comprises a butt-receiving channel extending longitudinally through said first cam, said channel being so located as to position the needle-shifting jack for tuck knitting, means to move the gate cam into a position intermediate its advanced and retracted positions, and means on the gate cam to lead said butt of the jack into the channel when the gate Icam is in its intermediate position and the carriage is moved relative to the needle bed.

3. In a knitting machine having a needle bed, a needleshifting jack having a pair of spaced butts projecting therefrom and movably supported by the bed, and a carriage movable along said bed and carrying a cam plate having a first cam with oppositely inclined outer and inner cam surfaces selectively cooperating with one of the jack butts, and an independently movable gate cam positioned in advance cf and in alignment with said first cam, the gate cam, first cam, and said butt being so constructed and arranged that when the gate cam is moved to a first, advanced position the jack is moved into a knitting position and when the gate cam is retracted into a second position the jack is moved into a noknitting position, the improvement which comprises a butt-receiving channel extending longitudinally through said first cam, said channel being so located as to position the needle-shifting jack for tuck knitting, means to move the gate cam into -a third position, and means on the gate cam to lead said butt of the jack into the channel when the gate cam is in its third position and the carriage is moved relative to the needle bed.

4. In a knitting machine having a needle bed, a needleshifting jack having a pair of spaced butts projecting therefrom and mov'ably supported by the bed, and a carriage movable along said bed and carrying a cam plate having a rst inwardly inclined cam surface and a second, outwardly inclined cam surface, said first `and second cam surfaces selectively cooperating with one of the jack butts, and an independently movable gate cam positioned in advance of and in alignment with said first and second cam surfaces, the gate cam, first and second cam surfaces, and said butt being so constructed and arranged that when the gate cam is moved to a rst position the jack is moved into a knitting position by the first cam surface and when the gate cam is moved into a second position the jack is moved into a noknitting position, the improvement which comprises a longitudinally extending butt-receiving and guiding means between the first and second cam surfaces, said last named `means being so located as to position the needleshifting jack for tuck knitting, means to move the gate cam into a third position, and means on the g-ate cam to lead such butt of the jack into the butt-receiving means when the gate cam is in its third position `and the carriage is moved relative to the needle bed.

References Cited in the iile of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,701,522 Zimitz Feb. 12, 1929 2,207,379 Korber July 9, 1940 2,644,323 Zimic et al. July 7, 1953 2,653,460 Zimic et al. Sept. 29, 1953 

